College Football Week 5 – LSU fires Les Miles
A telling weekend for SEC and Pac-12

While the ACC, Big 12 and Big Ten teams were mostly idle or playing insignificant games over the weekend, the SEC and Pac-12 settled down to business and got serious. There were five significant conference games in each of the two leagues. And a significant firing in one of the leagues.

First, the SEC: Tennessee beat Florida for the first time since 2004. Texas A&M stuffed Arkansas, beating the Hogs for the fifth-straight time. Ole Miss overwhelmed Georgia. Auburn beat LSU on the decision of an official. And Kentucky beat South Carolina for the third-straight year.

After falling behind Florida, 21-0, Tennessee found its offense and its defense. The Vols proceeded to score 38 unanswered points enroute to a 38-28 win over the Gators. Tennessee’s victory clearly established the Vols as the “premier” team in the SEC East – the favorite to win the division. Florida’s loss clearly revealed the Gators’ vulnerabilities.

Before the season began, Texas A&M was frequently in the news and not for good reasons. The program appeared to be suffering from one problem after another. There were so many internal issues. As a result, the analysts lowered their expectations of the Aggies. Texas A&M wasn’t given much of a chance to perform well in the SEC West.

After Saturday’s 45-28 stuffing of Arkansas, Texas A&M now has to be considered the biggest challenger to Alabama in the SEC West. The Aggies are for real. Second-year defensive coordinator John Chavis is doing what he was brought in from LSU to do – establish a defense that A&M had been lacking. And so much for all the quarterback departures – Trevor Knight arrived and he is the real deal.

Going into Saturday’s game against Georgia, Ole Miss was 1-2. In each of the two losses, the Rebels had big early leads, only to have the big leads whittled down to big deficits. Saturday, Ole Miss built up a big 45-0 lead over Georgia. This time the Rebels held onto the lead and beat the Dawgs, 45-14.

When Ole Miss plays for four quarters, the Rebels are dangerous. And when Chad Kelly is good, he’s really good. But when he is bad, he’s still really bad. Meanwhile, Georgia can no longer be considered a serious threat to win the SEC East. The Dawgs have a number of weaknesses. Ole Miss revealed those. And freshman Jacob Eason will become a good quarterback, but he’s not there yet.

The LSU-Auburn game was labeled the “Hot Seat Bowl.” Both coaches – Les Miles and Gus Malzahn – entered the game on a warm seat, but the losing coach was going to leave the game on a hot seat. Trailing 18-13, LSU appeared to win the game, 19-18, on a touchdown pass as time expired. The officials signaled a touchdown.

But wait! The play was being reviewed. And upon review, it was determined that the clock expired before LSU got the snap off. Instead of winning the game, 19-18, LSU lost the game, 18-13. The win improved Auburn’s record to 2-2 (1-1 in SEC play), while the loss dropped LSU’s record to 2-2 (1-1 in SEC play).

Well, the seat got about as hot as it can get for Les Miles. Sunday, LSU fired Miles, who was in his 12th season, coaching the Tigers (114-34). It’s obvious that neither LSU nor Auburn will be a contender in the SEC West. While both teams will inflict some more losses, both will also suffer more losses. One coach – Miles – is gone. The other one – Malzahn – could be gone by the end of the year. Stay tuned.

In addition to Miles, LSU also fired offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. Defensive line coach Ed Orgeron was named the interim head coach for the remainder of the season.

And finally, in Lexington, Kentucky, the Wildcats established their superiority over South Carolina. Kentucky beat the Gamecocks, 17-10. The Wildcats are still a bottom feeder, but they aren’t the lowest bottom feeder in the SEC East. Meanwhile, the fact that South Carolina only scored 10 points on Kentucky says a lot. Earlier in the day, Lee Corso said that Kentucky has the worst defense in the country. Why am I not surprised that a Will Mustake team only scored 10 points on the worst defense in the country.

Second, the Pac-12: Of the five intra-conference games in the Pac-12 over the weekend, all were decided by 10 points or less. In three of the five games, the winning team came from behind in the fourth quarter to win – two winning in the closing seconds. A fourth game went into overtime. You can’t get more exciting than that.

Friday night, Utah scored a touchdown with only 16 seconds on the clock to beat USC, 31-27. It was the Trojans third loss of the young season. And their second loss in conference play – 1-3 overall, 0-2 in the Pac-12. The Trojans were the favorites by many to win the Pac-12 South Division. Most likely, USC coach Clay Helton will be fired by the end of the season.

Saturday, the most improved and surprising team in the Pac-12 continued to surprise. Colorado scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter to come-from-behind and beat Oregon, 41-38. More amazing, Colorado won the game with a backup quarterback. Steven Montez stepped in for Sefo Liufau, who was injured in last week’s game against Michigan.

Oregon’s stock is going down in the Pac-12. Once the king of the conference, the Ducks aren’t quacking like they used to. Oregon still has a strong offense, but the Ducks defense has been getting weaker and weaker.

In the Rose Bowl in Pasadena Saturday night, Stanford’s dominance of UCLA continued – but just barely. The Bruins, who led throughout most of the game, lost to the Cardinal in the closing seconds. Stanford scored a touchdown with 24 seconds remaining to go up 16-13. Later, as time expired, the Cardinal recovered a fumble by UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen and returned it for a touchdown. Stanford won, 22-13.

In Tucson, the Wildcats of Arizona scored with only 17 seconds left in the game to tie Washington, 28-28. The Huskies subdued the Wildcats in the first overtime and won, 35-28. Further upstate in Arizona, California and Arizona State were in a donnybrook in Tempe. Cal, which led the Sun Devils throughout the game, fell behind for the first time when Arizona State went up 37-34 with 3:17 left in the game. In the wild final 2:52 of the game, Cal scored one touchdown and Arizona State scored two, as the Sun Devils hung on to beat the Golden Bears, 51-41.

In the Pac-12, Stanford and Washington have become the front runners in the North Division, and Utah and Arizona State are the front runners in the South. But with the offensive talent of several Pac-12 teams, there is going to be a lot more turmoil and upsets before the season is over.

The ACC, Big 12 and Big Ten each had one significant game over the weekend. North Carolina established its ground in the Coastal Division with a 37-36 win over Pitt. Like the Pac-12 winners, the Tar Heels had to rally in the closing seconds to beat the Panthers. North Carolina and Miami will most likely contend for the Coastal title.

In the Big 12, Oklahoma State and Baylor had a donnybrook going for a while. It cooled off in the fourth quarter, as the Bears extended their lead to knock off Oklahoma State, 35-24. After Art Briles was fired and Jim Grobe was hired, many wrote off Baylor as a contender for the Big 12 title. It looks like they could be wrong.

And finally, the shocker in the Big Ten – Wisconsin 30, Michigan State 6. The Badgers were underrated at preseason. Then again, it’s looking more and more like Michigan State’s win over Notre Dame was no big thing. Maybe the Spartans were overrated. Time will tell.

In four inter-conference games involving ACC teams, Florida State beat South Florida, 55-35. With Dalvin Cook rushing for 267 yards, the Noles have their offense back, but the FSU defense is experiencing some difficulties. Virginia Tech, under new coach Justin Fuente, is getting better and better each week. The Hokies disposed of East Carolina, 54-17.

Virginia, dormant until this weekend, found a pulse and beat Central Michigan, 49-35. Louisville had little trouble from Marshall, beating the Herd, 59-28. Lamar Jackson was responsible for another seven touchdowns.

Then in a fifth game, how about Duke beating Notre Dame, 38-35. How amazing is that? Amazing enough to get a defensive coordinator fired.

West Virginia of the Big 12 hung on to down BYU, 35-32. The SEC’s Vanderbilt improved its record to 2-2, with a 31-30 win over Western Kentucky. In a key game in C-USA, Middle Tennessee rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Louisiana Tech, 38-34.

In the two MAC vs. Sun Belt games, the conferences split. Appalachian State beat Akron, 45-38, while Western Michigan downed Georgia Southern, 49-31.

After four weeks, 27 teams remain undefeated. Army is no longer one of them. The Black Knights lost their first game Saturday to Buffalo, 23-20 (OT). But Air Force and Navy remain undefeated. The Falcons (3-0) beat Utah State, 27-20. Navy (3-0) was off. However, only one service academy will still be undefeated after this weekend. Why? Navy plays at Air Force.

Wake Forest is 4-0. Tim Muth must be pinching himself.

There were seven overtime games during the weekend, the most, so far, of any weekend this season. And Memphis tallied 77 points, beating Bowling Green, 77-3.

Along with Les Miles and Cam Cameron, there were two other firings Sunday. Florida International fired head coach Ron Turner. In his fourth season with the Panthers, Turner was 10-30 – 0-4 this season. And Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly fired his defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder. You just don’t give up 38 points to the Dookies and expect to keep your job.

Reports already have LSU reaching out to Houston’s Tom Herman and the disgraced Art Briles in search of a new coach.

Saturday, Swamp Mama and I will be sitting with Dave and Sue Brolhorst in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska, watching the Cornhuskers play the Banned Indians – Illinois. Before the game, we look forward to tailgating with the Big Red Meat Wagon group. I can’t wait.

Yes, it was a telling weekend, especially in the SEC and Pac-12.

Touchdown Tom
September 26, 2016
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK: That’s strong Cheese – Wisconsin 30, Michigan State 6 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan State 26, Wisconsin 20). Wow! Wisconsin appears to have been the most underrated team coming into the 2016 season – first, a win over LSU, and now, the win over Michigan State. The Badgers only led the Spartans 13-6 at the half, but turned it on in the second half, shutting out Michigan State. The Spartans suffered four turnovers in the game. Wisconsin now has two wins over Top 10 opponents. It was Michigan State’s worst home loss since 2009. Attendance in East Lansing: 75,505

RUNNER UP: Hillbilly heaven – Tennessee 38, Florida 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 17, Tennessee 14). I think that was Ole Miss playing in Florida’s uniforms. I mean, who else but Ole Miss would build up a 21-0 lead, only to get outscored 38-7. All week, prior to the game, the Gators offensive line was trashed, while Florida’s defense was hailed as one of the best in the nation. The o-line lived up to its billing in the second half, while the defense lived up to its billing in the first half. Both units played solid football in the first half, only to fall apart in the second half. They were basically no-shows after the intermission. Gators coach Jim McElwain, who opened up with his play calling in the first half, got too conservative in the second half. I think he thought his defense would carry them. The Gators had no running game. Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs passed for 319 yards and ran for 80. The Attendance in Knoxville: 102,455

REST OF THE BEST: Slopped – Texas A&M 45, Arkansas 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Arkansas 23, Texas A&M 21). This was an exciting contest in the first half – tied 17-17 at the break. Then the Aggies outscored the Hogs 28-7 in the second half. A big difference – A&M had a running game and Arkansas didn’t. The Aggies Trevor Knight rushed for 157 yards and Trayveon Williams rushed for 153. Arkansas only had 121 rushing yards total. A&M’s defense suffocated Arkansas. The Hogs Austin Allen passed for 371 yards. Arkansas suffered its fifth-straight loss to the Aggies. Attendance in Arlington: 67,751

Dabo-Do-Yah – Clemson 26, Georgia Tech 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Clemson 26, Georgia Tech 15). Clemson just totally dominated Georgia Tech in the first half. The score at the break was 23-0. The two teams played pretty even in the second half. The Tigers defense held Tech to only 124 total yards – 95 rushing and 29 passing. Deshaun Watson passed for 304 yards. Clemson won at Georgia Tech for the first time since 2003. Attendance in Atlanta: 53,932

MAC attack – Western Michigan 49, Georgia Southern 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Western Michigan 32, Georgia Southern 27). The teams went tit for tat into the second quarter. Then it became a game of spurts. First WMU scored 14 unanswered points to take a 28-10 lead midway through the second quarter. After a Georgia Southern score, the Broncos scored 14 more unanswered points to take a 42-17 lead early in the third quarter. Then Georgia Southern scored 14 unanswered points to pull within 11 points at 42-31 early in the fourth quarter. Attendance in Kalamazoo: 17,208

What a finish – Stanford 22, UCLA 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Stanford 24, UCLA 14). Trailing 13-9 in the closing seconds of the game, Stanford scored a touchdown on an 8-yard pass from Ryan Burns to J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, with only 24 seconds on the clock. The Trees went up 16-13. The Stanford score came on a 70-yard drive without any timeouts. Then to add insult to misery, Stanford scored on a fumble recovery as time expired. Stanford took a 3-0 lead early in the first quarter. The Bruins went up 7-3 late in the first quarter and held onto the lead until the final 24 seconds of the game. UCLA had no running game – only 77 yards total. Christian McCaffrey rushed for 138 yards. Attendance in Pasadena: 70,833

Da Bears – Baylor 35, Oklahoma State 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma State 42, Baylor 40). This game was tit for tat for three quarters – Baylor scored, then Okie State scored. But in the fourth quarter, Baylor scored and Okie State didn’t score. Baylor’s Seth Russell passed for 387 yard and rushed for 65. Attendance in Waco: 45,373

Cooked – Florida State 55, South Florida 35 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida State 27, South Florida 24). Trailing 14-7 in the first quarter, Florida State outscored South Florida 48-21. The Noles scored 38 unanswered points to take a 45-14 lead midway through the third quarter. FSU finished with 647 total yards – 478 of those yards rushing. The Noles Dalvin Cook rushed for 267 yards and Jacques Patrick 124 yards. Attendance in Tampa: 61,665

The dominator – Michigan 49, Penn State 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan 34, Penn State 19). The Wolverines dominated in just about every phase of the game. Michigan had 31 first downs to 13 for the Lions, and 515 total yards to 199 for Penn State. The Nitts only had 78 yards rushing. Michigan won its third-straight game over Penn State. The Wolverines have scored 209 points in their first four games. Attendance in Ann Arbor: 110,319

Mush – Washington 35, Arizona 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington 22, Arizona 17). Arizona forced overtime by scoring a touchdown with 17 seconds on the clock to tie the game at 28-28. The Huskies went on to win in OT. Both teams had a strong running game – 328 rushing yards for Washington and 307 for Arizona. The Wildcats suffered three turnovers. Attendance in Tucson: 48,747

Rally – North Carolina 37, Pitt 36 (Touchdown Tom said: Pitt 29, North Carolina 24). With less than 6 minutes left in the game, North Carolina trailed Pitt, 36-23. The Tar Heels scored two touchdowns, the second TD with 2 seconds on the clock, to pull out the win. The Heels, with only 18 yards rushing, won the game passing, with 453 yards. Mitch Trubisky was 35 for 46, passing for those 453 yards. He threw 5 touchdown passes and had no interceptions. Attendance in Chapel Hill: 54,500

Uga got a spanking – Ole Miss 45, Georgia 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Ole Miss 30, Georgia 26). One thing about Ole Miss, the Black Bears always start out strong. But usually, they collapse in the second half. Not Saturday. Against the Dawgs, Ole Miss led 31-0 at the half and increased its lead to 45-0 early in the third quarter. Georgia quarterback Jacob Eason only completed 44% of his passes. Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly passed for 282 yards and ran for 53. Attendance in Oxford: 65,843


.…AND TWO TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

Stunner – Colorado 41, Oregon 38 (Touchdown Tom said: Oregon 37, Colorado 29). Trailing 38-33, Colorado scored halfway through the fourth quarter on a 31-yard touchdown pass from Steven Montez to Bryce Bobo. The Buffs went up 41-38 and held on to win. The two teams combined for 1,101 total yards. Colorado quarterback Steven Montez, filling in for the injured Sefo Liufau, passed for 333 yards and ran for 135 yards. Attendance in Eugene: 53,974

So close – Utah 31, USC 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Utah 28, USC 16). With just 16 seconds on the clock, Utah scored a touchdown on an 18-yard pass from Troy Williams to Tim Patrick to win the game. USC had taken the lead late in the second quarter and never trailed until Utah’s touchdown in the final seconds. Four games into the season and USC is 1-3. The Trojans suffered three turnovers. Attendance in Salt Lake City: 46,133


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Frustrating – West Virginia 35, BYU 32 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 23, BYU 20). Early in the fourth quarter, West Virginia led 35-19 and then the Mountaineers almost threw it away. With an opportunity to put the game out of reach, WVU fumbled on the BYU goal line late in the fourth quarter. Then the Mounties held on, intercepting a tipped ball on their own goal line with 1:00 on the clock. WVU’s Skyler Howard passed for 332 yards. BYU’s Jamal Williams rushed for 169 yards and Taysom Hill ran for 101. Attendance in Landover: 38,207

Husk, Husk – Nebraska 24, Northwestern 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 28, Northwestern 15). Nebraska quarterback Tommy Armstrong passed for 246 yards and ran for 132 as the Huskers racked up 556 total yards. The Huskers passed their first road test of the season. Nebraska has now won seven of its last eight games. Attendance in Evanston: 40,284

Huh? – Duke 38, Notre Dame 35 (Touchdown Tom said: Notre Dame 30, Duke 11). Trailing Duke 28-21 late in the fourth quarter, Notre Dame scored 14 unanswered points. Midway through the fourth quarter the Irish led 35-28. You figured it was curtains for the Dookies. But the Devils tied the score at 35-35 with 6:47 on the clock. Then the Dookies kicked a 19-yard field goal with 1:24 left and held on to win. The teams combined for 1,034 total yards. Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer passed for 381 yards. Attendance in South Bend: 80,795

No. 600 – Purdue 24, Nevada 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Nevada 30, Purdue 27). The Boilers trailed 14-10 at the half, but then shut out Nevada 14-0 in the second half. Purdue overcame four turnovers to win the game. Boilers quarterback David Blough passed for 300 yards. Purdue’s win was the 600th in the program’s history. Attendance in West Lafayette: 41,607

Week 4 Results: 10 correct picks, 8 fumbles (55.6 percent)
For the Season: 48 correct picks, 24 fumbles (66.7 percent)


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Ball State 31, Florida Atlantic 27 – Attendance in Boca Raton: 13,846
South Carolina State 48, Florida A&M 14 – Attendance in Tallahassee: 19,127

UCF 53, Florida International 14 – Attendance in Miami: 18,524
Savannah State 16, Bethune-Cookman 10 (OT) – Attendance in Savannah: 5,374

Jacksonville U. 24, Stetson 7 – Attendance in Deland: 4,047
Florida Tech 28, Presbyterian 7 – Attendance in Clinton: 3,290


Superlatives

Impressive Passers:

Louisiana Tech’s Ryan Higgins – 36-59-0 for 504 yards; California’s Davis Webb – 32-56-2-478; North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky – 35-46-0-453; TCU’s Kenny Hill – 31-45-1-452; Arkansas State’s Justice Hansen – 21-38-2-424, and Virginia’s Kurt Benkert – 27-43-1-421.

Louisville’s Lamar Jackson – 24-44-1 for 417 yards; Syracuse’s Eric Dungey – 26-40-0-407; Missouri’s Drew Lock – 26-36-0-402; Central Michigan’s Cooper Rush – 25-45-1-402; Baylor’s Seth Russell – 18-28-1-387; Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer – 22-37-1-381, and Arkansas’ Austin Allen – 28-42-0-371.

East Carolina’s Philip Nelson – 17-34-0 for 362 yards; Utah State’s Kent Myers – 29-47-1-360; Memphis’ Riley Ferguson – 20-27-0-359; Middle Tennessee’s Brent Stockstill – 27-46-0-356; Akron’s Thomas Woodson – 31-43-2-353; Colorado’s Steven Montez – 23-32-2-333; West Virginia’s Skyler Howard – 31-40-1-332, and Florida Atlantic’s Jason Driskel – 25-37-1-324.


Impressive Rushers:

Florida State’s Dalvin Cook – 267 yards; Appalachian State’s Jalin Moore – 257 yards; Tulsa’s D’Angelo Brewer – 252 yards; Boise State’s Jeremy McNichols – 208 yards, and Arizona’s Brandon Dawkins – 176 yards.

BYU’s Jamal Williams – 169 yards; Middle Tennessee’s I’Tavius Mathers- 163 yards; UNLV’s Lexington Thomas – 160 yards, and South Florida’s Quinton Flowers – 159 yards.


Quotes of the Week

“I have to play baseball now. That’s what I would tell them. I’m part of the Mets family now,” Tim Tebow, when asked what he would do if an NFL team called because of a need at quarterback due to an injury.

“Is there a more pathetic fan base in America than the University of Michigan? What a whiny and sniveling bunch,” Paul Finebaum.

“I have a prediction. Art Briles will be at Auburn next year. Whether as the head coach or the offensive coordinator – Art Briles to Auburn, along with quarterback Jarrett Stidham,” CBS Sports Rick Neuheisel.

“Every time I talk to a Michigan fan, I feel a lot better about myself,” Paul Finebaum.

“Kentucky may have the worst defense in the history of football,” Lee Corso.

“Why in the world would anyone ever name their son, Gus? I might name my coon dog, Gus,” a caller on the Paul Finebaum Show.


Quote from the Past

“I could have been a Rhodes Scholar except for my grades,” Michigan State coach Duffy Daugherty.


Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for
This Week’s 12 Biggest and Most Intriguing Games…and then some

GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Louisville (4-0) at Clemson (4-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – The biggest game in the ACC this season was supposed to be Clemson at Florida State. That was until a couple of weeks ago. Now the biggest game is this one – Louisville at Clemson. And if Louisville wins, the Clemson-FSU game just will be a “who cares” game. A big performance in this game could almost clinch the Heisman for Lamar Jackson. The Cardinals turn the Tigers into bird seed – Louisville 30, Clemson 26.

RUNNER UP: 2. Wisconsin (4-0) at Michigan (4-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Talk about out of the frying pan and into the fire, who put together Wisconsin’s schedule. The Badgers were just in Michigan last week, playing the Spartans. Now they are back, playing the Wolverines. Almost doesn’t sound fair. The Cheese Heads are tough, but not that tough – Michigan 24, Wisconsin 22.

REST OF THE BEST: 3. Stanford (3-0) at Washington (4-0) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 9 pm ET, Friday, ESPN – The Trees don’t have it easy either. USC, UCLA and Washington back-to-back-to-back. And the last two on the road. Still, Stanford appears to be the class of the Pac-12. Christian McCaffrey needs a big game. He was good but not great against UCLA. The Trees put rings around the Huskies – Stanford 26, Washington 24.

4. Tennessee (4-0) at Georgia (3-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – Is Tennessee that good? Is Georgia that bad? We’ll soon know. The Vols have the momentum to build on. The Dawgs have to regroup. Experience favors the Vols. Smokey spits out Peach pits – Tennessee 27, Georgia 22.

5. North Carolina (3-1) at Florida State (3-1) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Have you seen the North Carolina quarterback? His name is Mitch Trubisky and the guy is amazing. With his passing, he could make the Indians look silly. Then again the Indians could make Trubisky look like Custer at his last stand. Chief Olio hits the Heels in their Achilles – Florida State 33, North Carolina 24.

6. Oklahoma (1-2) at TCU (3-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 5 pm ET, Saturday, Fox – If Oklahoma falls to 1-3, Bob Stoops may join Les Miles in the employment line. The Frogs are good, but they haven’t beaten anyone. And they lost the one big game they played. Of course, OU has lost every big game it played. That makes them about even. The Soonies win a close one – Oklahoma 29, TCU 27.

7. Memphis (3-0) at Ole Miss (2-2) – (AAC vs. SEC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – Last time these two met, Ole Miss got spanked. That was last year. And Memphis put 77 on the board last week. But Ole Miss does the spanking this year. The Sharks spank the Tigers with their Fins – Ole Miss 34, Memphis 26.

8. Miami (Florida) (3-0) at Georgia Tech (3-1) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – Mark Richt has Miami on a roll. The Canes look awesome. The Bumble Bees lost to Clemson last week. They will be swarming mad. Brad Kaaya swats the swarm – Miami 24, Georgia Tech 17.

9. Utah (4-0) at California (2-2) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 6 pm ET, Saturday, PAC12N – Cal can score but the Bears don’t have a defense. The Utes have a defense. Still, Davis Webb will test the Utah. The Utes skin the Bears – Utah 32, California 30.

10. Kansas State (2-1) at West Virginia (3-0) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPNU – WVU is 3-0 in non-conference action. Now the Big 12 action begins. K-State is one of two schools in the Big 12 the Mounties haven’t beaten. There’s always a first time – West Virginia 27, Kansas State 17.

11. Texas (2-1) at Oklahoma State (2-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC – Both of these teams are coming off losses. Texas to Cal and Okie State to Baylor. One is headed for a second-straight loss. It won’t be the Cowboys – Oklahoma State 35, Texas 33.

12. Navy (3-0) at Air Force (3-0) – (AAC vs. MWC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBSSN – This contest has the makings of a classic battle. Navy is the younger team of the two. The Falcons have a smoother landing – Air Force 25, Navy 19.


.…AND TWO TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

13. Western Michigan (4-0) at Central Michigan (3-1) – (MAC vs. MAC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, CBSSN – WMU is on a roll. The Broncos have wins over two Big Ten teams. They have their eyes on the Top 25. Remain undefeated and they can get there. But CMU is a toughie. Just ask Okie State…..I mean…..Just ask the referees. The Broncos knock the Chipps off their shoulders – Western Michigan 35, Central Michigan 30.

14. South Florida (3-1) at Cincinnati (3-1) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPNU – The Bulls took a beating from Florida State. They may not recover in time. Cincy is tough at home. But the Bearcats can’t keep the Bulls in the pen – South Florida 27, Cincinnati 26.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Florida (3-1) at Vanderbilt (2-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, SECN – Well, the Gators went to bed at halftime against Tennessee. I sure hope they wake up before they get to Nashville. That would be awful, losing to two Tennessee teams in a row. Wonder if we will see a freshman quarterback play for the Gators this week? Vandy can play some defense, but the Dores have no offense. Albert kicks the Dores in – Florida 27, Vanderbilt 13.

Illinois (1-2) at Nebraska (4-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – The Huskers are starting out this year better than last year. That’s a good thing. The winning streak should continue. Lovie hasn’t found the right potion yet in Champaign. A band of Huskers crop the Banned Indians – Nebraska 36, Illinois 19.

Virginia (1-3) at Duke (2-2) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 12:30 pm ET, Saturday, ACCN – Frankly, I don’t know what to expect from the Dookies anymore. But hey, not every team can get a defensive coordinator fired. Can the Dookies make it two in a row? The Devils have Virginia’s DC shaking in his boots – Duke 25, Virginia 22.

Purdue (2-1) at Maryland (3-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, BTN – The Boilers have an opportunity to knock off an undefeated team. And after all, it’s the Terps. They can’t be that good. But they are good enough to take the steam out of the Boilers – Maryland 30, Purdue 27.


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

UCF (2-2) at East Carolina (2-2) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, CBSSN….
Duquesne (2-2) at Jacksonville U. (2-1) – (Northeast vs. Pioneer) – 1 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3 –

Stetson (1-2) at Davidson (2-2) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 1 pm ET, Saturday….
North Carolina Central (2-2) at Bethune-Cookman (0-3) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) – 1:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3 –

Florida Tech (4-0) at West Florida (2-2) – (Gulf South vs. Gulf South) – 6 pm ET, Saturday….
Savannah State (1-2) at Florida A&M (0-4) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) – 6 pm ET, Saturday….
Florida Atlantic (1-3) at Florida International (0-4) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 7 pm ET, Saturday….

Touchdown Tom
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


P.S.

Not exactly college football related, but near the end of September as the college football season was about to move into its second month, the number one song in the country…

…75 years ago this week in 1941 was “Blue Champagne” by Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra

…70 years ago this week in 1946 was “To Each His Own” by Eddy Howard

…65 years ago this week in 1951 was “Because Of You” by Tony Bennett

…60 years ago this week in 1956 was “Hound Dog”/“Don’t Be Cruel” by Elvis Presley

…55 years ago this week in 1961 was “Take Good Care of My Baby” by Bobby Vee

…50 years ago this week in 1966 was “Cherish” by The Association

…45 years ago this week in 1971 was “Go Away Little Girl” by Donny Osmond

…40 years ago this week in 1976 was “Play That Funky Music” by Wild Cherry

…35 years ago this week in 1981 was “Endless Love” by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie

…30 years ago this week in 1986 was “Stuck with You” by Huey Lewis and The News

…25 years ago this week in 1991 was “I Adore Mi Amor” by Color Me Badd


Not exactly college football related, but sadly there were two passings of note last week – John D. Loudermilk, Ed Temple and Arnold Palmer.

John D. Loudermilk, a country singer and prolific songwriter whose dozens of hits in the 1960s and 1970s “Tobacco Road” by the Nashville Teens, “Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye” by the Casinos (and later by Eddy Arnold) and “Indian Reservation” by Paul Revere and the Raiders, died last week at his home in Christiana, Tennessee. He was 82. As Johnny Dee, Loudermilk made several records in a soft rockabilly style in the 1950s, but he found his niche after George Hamilton IV recorded his teen lament “A Rose and a Baby Ruth” in 1956, and Eddie Cochran scored his first solid hit with a cover of Loudermilk’s “Sittin’ in the Balcony” in 1957. After moving to Nashville from his native North Carolina, Loudermilk came under the wing of the producer and guitar virtuoso Chet Atkins. He soon turned out songs in every style: “Norman” (1961) for Sue Thompson; “Ebony Eyes” (1961) for the Everly Brothers, and “Abilene” (1963), which became George Hamilton’s biggest hit. “Tobacco Road,” which became a Top 20 hit for the British invasion group the Nashville Teens in 1964, was later recorded by several other artists, including Jefferson Airplane, Eric Burdon and War, Blues Magoos and David Lee Roth. “Indian Reservation” became a Top 20 hit for the British singer Don Fardon in 1968 and a No. 1 hit for Paul Revere and the Raiders in 1971. John D. Loudermilk was born in Durham, North Carolina, on March 31, 1934. While attending the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, Loudermilk discovered the work of Kahlil Gibran and began writing poems, one of which, “A Rose and a Baby Ruth,” he later set to music. His many hits also included “Sad Movies (Make Me Cry)” and “Paper Tiger,” both written for Sue Thompson. Loudermilk’s “Talk Back Trembling Lips” became a 1963 pop hot for Johnny Tillotson. He also co-wrote “Amigo’s Guitar” (1959) and “Waterloo” (1959), which became Stonewall Jackson’s biggest hit in his career.

Ed Temple, who coached Wilma Rudolph, Wyomia Tyus and 38 other Olympians in his 43 seasons as the most celebrated women’s track and field coach in the United State, died last week. He was 89. From 1950 until he retired in 1993, Temple mentored a roster of athletes that few coaches in any sport could rival for speed, power and skill. The 40 Olympians he produced at Tennessee State won 13 gold medals, six silver medals and four bronze medals. His teams at Tennessee State, known as the Tigerbelles, won 34 national titles. Temple was the head women’s track coach for the United States Olympic teams in 1960 and 1964. Of his 40 Olympians, 39 graduated with bachelor’s degrees, 28 earned master’s degrees and eight earned medical or doctorates. Edward Stanley Temple was born on September 20, 1927, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He was an all-state athlete in track, football and basketball at John Harris High School in Harrisburg. He graduated from Tennessee State and became the women’s track coach there soon after graduating.

Arnold Palmer, whose tournament victories and magnetic personality inspired an American golf boom, attracted a following known as Arnie’s Army and made him one of the most popular athletes in the world, died Sunday. He was 87. From 1958 through 1964, Palmer was the charismatic face of professional golf. In those seven seasons, he won seven major titles: four Masters, one U.S. Open and two British Opens. With 62 victories on the PGA tour, he ranks fifth. He won 93 tournaments worldwide. He was a major fund- raiser for the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Women in Orlando, Florida. Palmer was 77 when he played his final competitive round on October 30, 2006, on the Champions Tour. Arnold Daniel Palmer was born in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, on September 10, 1929. He entered Wake Forest after graduating from Latrobe High School. At Wake Forest, he played on two Atlantic Coast Conference championship teams. He withdrew from college during his senior year and served three years in the Coast Guard.